The Beauty of Leaving Kids Hanging in a Story Inside: The Secret to Hooking Kids into the Habit of Reading- Teaching Kids to Read “I hate that book!” I couldn’t believe my then 3rd grader was turning his nose to a book I loved. Especially since he hadn’t even cracked the cover. “That’s OK,” I said. “But, you may not move from your seat and I will simply read it aloud to myself because I love it…” I began to read and read. Just when I could tell he had fallen in love with the story, and just at the height of excitement I shut the book. “Wait!” he shouted. I smiled. I knew I had him. “Maybe it’s an OK story…” photo by Aaron Burden Ha! I had him. I have played this dirty trick on each of my boys, many times actually. One of the keys to becoming an excellent writer is simply being exposed to lots and lots of great literature. LOTS. So, I still read aloud to my kids. My teenaged kids. … Read More »
10 Things I’d LOVE to share with New Homeschoolers So here we are, just you and me. For the moment, my 4 youngest boys are all wonderfully occupied and I thought I would write to you, the new homeschooler. (if you are a seasoned homeschooler, please read and then add your 2 cents at the end of this article). What Advice Would I Give a New Homeschooler? Here is my top ten list of Unsolicited Tips and Encouragement from Me to You… 1. Pray. Every. Single. Day. Homeschooling is wonderful, but it can be completely overwhelming at times. I do not know about you, but I can barely complete my laundry without talking with the Lord. Here’s an inside look into my heart… 2. Release Your Expectations. When we begin homeschooling, it is easy to paint a very romantic picture of our children quietly studying at the kitchen table, or reading contentedly on the living room floor… Whatever your imagination cooks up, release it now. Homeschool is a living thing. As you and your children learn and grow things will morph and change. 3. Get Outside and get Dirty. You decided to homeschool for many reasons. I know, me too. Do not try to create a public school classroom around your kitchen table. The very nature of homeschooling is that we get to teach our children as we walk through our day. Make sure you get out with your kids as often as you can. Explore. Talk as you explore. Go to the library and learn about what you explored. 4. Model Hunger to your Kids. Be hungry for knowledge and show your kids what an adventure life can be. Each and every day look for multiple chances to say, “I do not know, but let’s find out together!” Introduce them to the library and have a ball researching whatever they are interested at the moment. If they are not interested in anything, find something that interests you and learn about it together! 5. Experience First. You really cannot teach a toddler what the word “Sticky” means until they stick their hands into the honey. Always look for the way to have your kids taste, see, hear, touch, and feel before they create, explain, write, and defend a subject. Trust me, the more senses you hit before the lesson, the more exciting the lesson will be! 6. Spy and Steal. It’s not what you think! Spy on the “best” homeschoolers you can and steal their best stuff. This may not sound very Christian. All joking aside, I am serious. Philippians 3:17 encourages us: Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. Look for great homeschoolers and glean from their years of wisdom. 7. Smile. A Lot! Learning is amazingly fun. Mounds of unfinished worksheets, quizzes, and tests are not. Make sure to focus on learning. Have fun with this homeschool thing. Sure there is a time for serious work, but even that can be fun if your heart and focus are right. 8. Keep your priorities straight. While school and education are very important, model true compassion to your kids. If life happens and you need to focus on family or neighbors, do so. People should always come first. 9. Do not Compare your family to another. Every family, every student, every child is different. Resist the urge to compare your children to anyone. I can tell you from experience that this is a hard one. You may know homeschoolers who have violin playing, chess champion, football quarterback, novel writing children. Great! Do not feel like you are failing if your children are not interested in the same subjects as the homeschooler next door. Embrace your unique family. 10. Keep it simple. With all the buzz about failing public education, it can be tempting to show “the world” how it is done by over-scheduling our own homeschool children. While activities are wonderful, be on constant watch for balance and imbalance within your home. That’s it. My 2 cents worth. I absolutely love homeschooling my children. I hope you are enjoying every day you are blessed to homeschool yours. More from Bekki So, God made YOU a homeschool mom Experience First: The Secret to Unlocking Learning Choosing a chore system that works for your family Inside Out Homeschooling A Better Way to Homeschool Beyond Blessed Life Planner 32%off using the code BeyondBlessed2019
Thanksgiving Writing Prompts: Yes, Writing! Thanksgiving Writing Prompts for Homeschoolers.While we do break free from our regular homeschooling routine during the holidays, it is important to continue writing:). Grab your free Notebooking Templates and have your child choose one of the Thanksgiving Writing Prompts Below (source: Alpha Omega Publications) Download Thanksgiving Printable Paper homeschool helpers printables Grab your pencil and put on your thinking cap! • On Thanksgiving, my family likes to… • If I had been a Pilgrim child on the very first Thanksgiving, I would have… • My favorite Thanksgiving memory is… • What I like/dislike about Thanksgiving is… • I think a turkey would/wouldn’t make a good pet because… • If I had been a Pilgrim travelling to America on the Mayflower, I would have taken along… • On Thanksgiving, it’s traditional for my family to… • The Pilgrims’ feast on the first Thanksgiving included… • The best thing the Indians did to help the Pilgrims was… • I am thankful for my family because… • When I think of Thanksgiving, I think about… • To make a great Thanksgiving turkey, you… • The first Thanksgiving I can remember was… • As I walked up to the table to share Thanksgiving with my family,… • My favorite part about Thanksgiving is… • To me, Thanksgiving symbolizes… • My perfect Thanksgiving meal would include… • Thanksgiving at Grandma’s house is… • Being thankful means… • I think brown and orange are Thanksgiving colors because… • The first Thanksgiving and today’s Thanksgiving are very similar/different because… More Thanksgiving Activities Here Thanksgiving Math, Reading, Science Activities for 3rd Grade 30 Thanksgiving Activities, Crafts, and Games for K-2nd Grade 21 Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kindergarten 4 Thanksgiving Jokes Solved with Divisibility Fall Math and Literacy Super Bundle- Grades K-2 Preview of the Heart of Homeschooling God’s Way Master Class. We need to STOP measuring success by grades, achievements, awards, and worksheets. Enroll in the sneak peek class here.
Creativity and Boredom My dad always said creativity and imagination lived just on the other side of boredom. I watch this truth play out not only in my own life, but the lives of my children as well. I have 5 very talented and creative boys. Yes, I am biased, but I am telling you it’s true. My boys are Lego architects, writers, painters, musicians, and simply a whole bunch of fun to be around. Before I sound too much like a snotty prideful mom, I want to repeat what my dad always told me: “Creativity and Imagination live just on the other side of boredom.” Here is the secret to growing amazingly creative and imaginative kids… …Let them be bored! Allow your kids to get bored. I mean really bored. Do not rescue them (unless there’s blood). Do not turn on the TV and absolutely ban “all things electronic. Tell them all you have is an endless list of chores for them to complete if they come to you for suggestions. If the weather permits, send ’em outside and tell them they cannot come in until the timer dings. At least an hour! Sit back and wait… Depending on how over-stimulated and over scheduled your kids are, there will likely be a delay between their first boredom appointment and the flow of creativity. It could be a few minutes, or a few days. Trust me it is worth the wait! Plan for periods of boredom regularly. Daily is best. Summer is meant for this type of schedule- embrace it. You may think I am crazy, but I am quite sane. Its the bored kids who create the “new games”. Its the bored kids who create awesome forts. Its the bored kids who write creative stories. Its the bored kids who think painting a fence is fun. Its the bored kids who weave complicated characters and events into their make-believe playtime. Its the bored kids who change the world. Now, if you just cannot handle the thought of allowing your children to become really bored, or if the thought of the possibly whining makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck: cheat. Go to the local thrift stores and let them buy some new dress-up clothes. Pick up a few (or a few dozen) empty cardboard boxes. Buy an assortment of PVC piping and let them create. Find a spell-binding book to read aloud at breakfast or lunch. Be sure to stop reading at an exciting part! This is a great time to send them off. My kids end up personifying literary characters often! Buy some spiral bound notebooks and “special pens” to help them write a creative story (Tell them you will not correct spelling and grammar… just let them write). Invite a “cool big kid” over to play. As homeschoolers we can over schedule our children’s lives to the point of physical and mental exhaustion. Slow down. Let the lull of summer on the horizon remind us that it is more than OK to slow down. We need to allow our children to come to the end of their schedules in order to provide time and opportunity for creativity. Download your FREE “Creativity and Boredom” {Printable}
9 Valentine’s Crafts, Games, Food, and More!! Amazing Valentine Day Crafts and Gifts. Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. Precious Handprint/Footprints D.I.Y. Surprise Balls Grab handful of wonderful goodies from the dollar store. Wrap them one, with colorful crape paper. Your kids (or hubby) will be delighted as they unwrap these balls of wonder! Aren’t they gorgeous? Classic Game- Candyland This is a fun way to celebrate your child’s sweetness:) For Your Hubby… Heart Shaped Food!!! Bacon- courtesy of Paper Mama 10 More Heart Shaped food Ideas from Coralie Free Valentine’s Day Activity Pack-by Simply Living Mama Valentine’s Day Mailbox for Kids- by Camp Clem Free- Valentine’s Printable Bingo sources: D.I.Y- Surprise Ball Embrace Your Chaos- Handprints Honestly WTF- Surprise Balls The Frugal Girls- Gifts in a Jar The Paper Mama- Heart Shaped Bacon LoveBug’s and Postcards- More Heart Shaped Food! Simply Living Mama- Valentine’s Coloring Pages! Camp Clem-You’ve Got Mail Craft Crazy Little Projects- Valentine’s Bingo Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!!
Snowball Fights! Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! This post contains my referral link which helps support the work of this site. Here’s my full disclosure policy. I am a little sad that the snow is gone from our sweet little town. I do not know about you, but one of my favorite ways to spend a cold winter’s day is to enjoy a hot cup of something wonderful and watch my children sled in the snow. It really is magical. If you have been following me for any length of time, you will also know that my husband and I have definite goals for our kids that have nothing to do with snow or “curriculum”. One of our top goals is that our kids learn their math facts inside and out. Today I have combined my love for snow play and our goal of learning math facts (Well, at least multiplication). I created a set of snowball fight themed memory games to be played to teach and reinforce multiplication math facts for your kids and mine! Simply click on the image to go check it out! Before you leave, make sure you add your email into that box on the right. I like to surprise my readers with freebies to some of my latest creations as a special thank you!! Summertime Adventures for Boys and the Family (for those of you who cannot wait for warmer weather!!) Did You Enjoy this Article? Subscribe to receive our latest and greatest: right here
5 EASY Ways to Deal with Homeschool Frustration Inside: Real solutions for the Frustrated homeschooler Right after you find the baby decorated her wall with her diaper contents, your homeschooler needs help with math. You begin to cry. The phone rings. It’s your husband calling to ask you to run a few errands in your free time today. You cry some more. When 5:00 rolls around you look in the mirror and realize the person staring back at you not only looks like she fought a battle and lost but she forgot to plan for dinner… again. So you cry again and pour cold cereal for dinner. I bump into home-school moms all the time who are frustrated. Are you one of them? We, moms, worry about not being able to do it all. Don’t we? … Read More »
Let’s Be Honest: When I Walk Through My Home, Do I See Order or Chaos? Let’s Be Honest: When I Walk Through My Home, Do I See Order or Chaos? I definitely have some spring cleaning to do! At a quick glance my house is tidy, but I’d never pass a white glove inspection! As I do a self inventory of my home I am fighting the urge to clean everything so I can tell you I have stayed organized this year. Nope. I said Let’s Be Honest, Right? I see multiple areas that need attention: School “Stuff”I have an eclectic homeschooling style. I love to tailor the books and materials I place in front of my children based upon their passions, talents, gifts, weaknesses, and my own curiosity. I also am blessed and cursed with an embarrassing short term memory. I have no idea what I wore yesterday, what chapter I am on in any of our current readers, or even what color my own house is unless I write it down in my journal. (See, anyone can homeschool as long as they are determined to learn and never quit!) I have piles of projects, worksheets, books, readers, lapbooks, books, and more books that I simply leave visible so I do not forget them. What does that look like? Embarrassing photo #1 Yes, that right. This is our school area.Although I have created worse messes in the past, currently everything is piled and mixed up. Sure, that closed door hides more of the mess, sure my high-schoolers supplies are not in this picture, sure I have a bazillion reasons why I stack and not file. Being Honest: I need to go through everything in my school zone and purge what is unnecessary. It’s amazing how chaos creeps in, isn’t it? Do you collect curriculum and art supplies throughout the year? How do you deal with these intruders? More School Stuff. Well, more like art supplies… Embarrassing Phone #2 I am not a shopper, so I do not have tons of supplies pouring out of my cupboards, yet what we do have is a mess! My 7-year-old is like a tornado through our supply cupboard. I have to admit this is a bit humbling. Since my kids have a laminated chore chart posted on my fridge, I fully and naively assumed that I’d have a clean child’s bedroom to report: Embarrassing Photo #3 This is our 3 Musketeer Room. Apparently, a bomb went off because there is no other explanation as to why I should be tormented through the necessity of sharing this disaster with you. What a mess! The issue goes back to the title of this post, Do I see Order or Chaos. Yes, I see chaos. It’s late in the school year. We need to fix that broken picture frame (casualty of the latest Nerf battle), purge a few thousand toys, and pull out summer clothes with the goal of getting rid of torn pants, donating things that are too small, and somehow convince all the young boys that being handed down their older brother’s clothing is a blessing. This chore is way over-due, but always nags me at this time of year. That’s all the “Full Disclosure” my time (and pride) will allow. My honest answer to this question is that I can see through the piles of chaos. I know with a few days of hard-core organizing and purging and a reward of something sweet and wonderful we will soon whip our home back into shape. The order/chaos battle never ends and effects more than my pride.I find it hard to think straight when the home is in disarray.I am less patient and easily distracted when the piles grow faster than I can sort them. It’s a wonder we get any school done in an atmosphere of disorder… Yet, somehow or other, we do. Your Turn:What condition is your home in right this second? Download your FREE "Master Chore List" {printable}
Homeschooling: Where do I Begin? So you have made the decision to home school your children, but have no idea where to start. Today, let me give you a jump start. Understanding that you should: Establish your family mission statement Pick the subjects/topics/curriculum to study Determine how you stay organized … you can still get started today. First. Pick a subject that interests you and your kids. I highly suggest going to the local library (or browsing your own bookshelves). When I first began homeschooling I discovered my library did not have a book limit. What that meant was every time I took the kids to the library, we would leave with 20-40 books! (Words of wisdom: teach your children to respect books. Keep your library books in a separate location, like a basket. Mark your calendar to remind you when the books are due. I suggest giving yourself a few days cushion just in case the baby gets sick. Late fees at the library are minimal unless they are multiplied by 40 books…) Second. Learn everything you can about that subject: Together! Read. Research online. Search Netflix. Search YouTube. Get deep into learning!! Third. Choose a project to showcase what you all have learned! Project Ideas: Mini books, notebooking, lapbooks, pocket books, and power points are just a few suggestions. Third. Spend a week (to a month) becoming and expert and making that project! (approximately). Fourth. Ready, Set, Learn! Have a blast learning along side of your kiddos. The more excited you are, the better. Enthusiasm is contagious. Fifth. This step is vital. The kids (and you) have worked hard to create some amazing project. No matter how simple the final product turns out to be, make sure the kids share it with someone. Have them walk daddy through their creation, explain it to grandma, or teach it to a neighbor. This will do two things: Reinforce what the kids have learned Let them bask in the spotlight! Here are a few resources to help you set up your project: Sign up here to receive freebies, deals, and resources!! A wonderful resource for mini-books~ Lapbooking templates My Favorite Pocket Projects How to create a power point